is it highly unusual to have a will read a week after a person dies? i am a writer for fiction and i would?

Question

like to know if the reading of a will so soon after a character's death (one week)is too theatrical or over the top. i read that the usual time frame is 30 days. what extraneous circumstances could rationalize the reading of will in the shortest time possible?

Answer 1

Actually, if the will is very straight-forward and there is little question as to locating the heirs, it wouldn't be that unusual for the executor to read it a week after the funeral. I've even heard of doing it immediately after the funeral, while the family is all gathered in one place, especially if people traveled from long distances.

Keep in mind, a reading of the will doesn't have to happen at all. Many times, the executor will simply notify the next of kin of the wishes of the deceased.

If the estate is complicated and much of the capital is tied up in investments, the reason for waiting is to liquidate the assets into cash, if the will calls for specific cash amounts--that takes time.

Have fun. I think you can take literary license here, as any number of possibilities are feasible.

Answer 2

I don't see how it would be. It does say something about the character(s) involved. If it is in the deceased's instructions (most likely, as readings are not as common as imagined), then it shows they are a business oriented person. And if they are business oriented, then they probably want it read immediately after the funeral or very soon.
Also, for the living, many affairs must be dealt with. In some cases, this must be done immediately. If the kids have to return from the funeral in New York to their home in Singapore, they need to know what's going on with Mom and Dad's home. Arrangements must be made to put it in the hands of another family member, rent it out, sell it, demolish it, etc.
Reading a will immediately...reading it at all...is most likely a demand from the deceased...an instruction given to the attorney in charge of the will. It's up to that character to give a reason. Maybe they are just business minded. Maybe they were anything but business minded, and by having a hasty reading it suggests something wasn't right with the death. Maybe the deceased wasn't entirely business minded, but wasn't wrongfully killed, either. Perhaps they just wanted affairs dealt with so the family they loved could go on with their lives.
Perhaps it wasn't in the instructions. Maybe the widowed wife calls for a hasty reading so there can be no objection to who gets the estate. I'm pretty sure the lawyer must be given instructions from the deceased, however (but that doesn't mean the lawyer isn't the wife's lover, helping her so he can get some of the estate as well). No matter what, the lawyer would almost certainly start with a reciting of the deceased's instructions, and that's where you can tell us why we're hearing the will at this point in time...an action based on your deceased character and/or your story plot.

Answer 3

Possibly the heirs live very far away from where the person died and where the funeral was and would not be able to stay for 30 days.

Possibly one or more heir is ill and would need to know their inheritance in order to put their own affairs in order.


Possibly the deceased had a business for which major decisions must be made in order to keep the business running in a responsible manner.

Possibly there are major needs for funds by one or more of the heirs - so that the quicker the estate can be dealt with the quicker the heirs would receive their legacy.

Answer 4

Whoever has possession of the will can read it at any time.
I do not know why there is a "reading of the will" ceremony as I have seen in movies, unless it is because something weird is going on, or it's just a device to show people's reactions....
In the cases I'm familiar with, the person named as the executor takes the will to an attorney,who does all the legal stuff. The executor does the accounting stuff (or hires somebody to do it) and sends out the checks to pay the deceased's obligations, and the expenses s/he incurs in handling the estate Then s/he sends checks to people who inherit money, as instructed by the attorney.

Answer 5

Most often it happens the same day as the funeral, or at the latest the next day. If there are heirs that have to travel into town or there is a problem locating next of kin, like if someone died and hadn't spoken to their family for a long time or something like that, sometimes there will be a wait before the will can be read.